How Climate Change May Threaten Progress in Neonatal Health in the African Region

Britt Nakstad, Veronique Filippi, Adelaide Lusambili, Nathalie Roos, Fiona Scorgie, Matthew F. Chersich, Stanley Luchters, Sari Kovats

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Climate change is likely to have wide-ranging impacts on maternal and neonatal health in Africa. Populations in low-resource settings already experience adverse impacts from weather extremes, a high burden of disease from environmental exposures, and limited access to high-quality clinical care. Climate change is already increasing local temperatures. Neonates are at high risk of heat stress and dehydration due to their unique metabolism, physiology, growth, and developmental characteristics. Infants in low-income settings may have little protection against extreme heat due to housing design and limited access to affordable space cooling. Climate change may increase risks to neonatal health from weather disasters, decreasing food security, and facilitating infectious disease transmission. Effective interventions to reduce risks from the heat include health education on heat risks for mothers, caregivers, and clinicians; nature-based solutions to reduce urban heat islands; space cooling in health facilities; and equitable improvements in housing quality and food systems. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are essential to reduce the long-term impacts of climate change that will further undermine global health strategies to reduce neonatal mortality.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)644-651
Number of pages8
JournalNeonatology
Volume119
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2022

Keywords

  • Breastfeeding
  • Climate
  • Dehydration
  • Environment
  • Heat stress
  • Interventions
  • Malnutrition
  • Neonates

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'How Climate Change May Threaten Progress in Neonatal Health in the African Region'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this